Girls' soccer: Wayzata takes nothing for granted

Veteran coach Tony Peszneker is well aware of the strong girls' soccer tradition at Wayzata High School. After advancing to 21 state tournaments, it's not hard to figure out.

But just because the Trojans have raised four championship trophies in that time doesn't guarantee Wayzata a thing.

"This is a new team," Peszneker said.

But what a team it is. Wayzata might not be the flashiest around, but it knows how to take care of business.

The undefeated Trojans (15-0-5) are the No. 3 seed in this year's Class 2A state tournament. They open play at 7:30 tonight against unseeded Elk River (5-11-2) at St. Cloud State.

Signs of the team's grittiness were prevalent last week in the Section 6 championship game against Robbinsdale Armstrong. After falling behind 1-0 in the 52nd minute, it took just 89 seconds for the Trojans to answer. They then took the lead with a little more than 20 minutes to play.

Both goals came on corner kicks. Those type of dead-ball opportunities will make the difference this week. Wayzata appears to have it figured out just at the right time.

"She's got a magnet in there," Kathryn Dryer, Wayzata's corner-kick aficionado, said of teammate Kaitlyn Lauer's seven header goals this season. "If I get it in the mix, I know she'll always be there."

One for the coach

The Rogers girls' soccer team advanced to its first state tournament by defeating Park Center 4-2 in a shootout for the Class 1A, Section 5 championship last Friday. But the dramatics started well before.

Coach Amy Cornelius came to Athletics Director Paul Gustafson in May with news that her first child was due Oct. 21 -- right in the heat of soccer playoffs.

Sure enough, she went into labor Monday and had a C-section delivery Tuesday. She was not able to attend the big game. Assistant coaches Leah Omann and Holly Sutton guided the Royals to the comeback victory.

"It's a unique situation, that's for sure, but the girls came through," Gustafson said. "We'd been planning for this. We didn't really even miss a beat."

Cornelius attended a team banquet Sunday and will try to be at St. Cloud State on Thursday when the Royals face No. 1 seed Orono in the state quarterfinals. But Gustafson didn't know who would be at the helm on the sideline.

Third time's a charm

St. Louis Park boys' soccer player Casey Villagrana nearly put the Orioles up 1-0 over Orono in the Class 1A, Section 6 championship game last Saturday. His shot toward a gaping Orono net was stopped at the goal line by Spartans' keeper Mitchell Wolff.

Villagrana then had another shot sail over the crossbar in the second half.

Finally, he made hay.

Villagrana's header with 3 minutes, 5 seconds to play in the first overtime gave the Orioles their third trip to the state tournament. They were the Class 2A runner-up last season but dropped to 1A for this year.

It will be a tough quarterfinal test this time around. St. Louis Park (12-8-1) takes on No. 1 seed Totino-Grace (17-3) at 7:30 tonight at Hopkins High School.

More action

Other state soccer action involving west-metro teams this week includes:

• Boys' Class 2A, No. 3 seed Bloomington Jefferson against Wayzata at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Park High School in Cottage Grove

• Girls' Class 1A, No. 2 seed Blake against Mankato West at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Roseville

• Girls' Class 2A, No. 2 seed Edina against Anoka at 5:30 p.m. today at St. Cloud State.

Brian Stensaas • 612-673-4127